


To The Waters and the Wilds

by silv3rbloodalch3mist



Series: Growing With Magic [2]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Jet and Droy being awesome, Levy being a boss ass bitch, Multi, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Team Bonding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-19
Updated: 2014-05-26
Packaged: 2018-01-25 17:07:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1656026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silv3rbloodalch3mist/pseuds/silv3rbloodalch3mist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Come away, O human child! To the waters and the wild, with a faery, hand in hand, for the world’s more full of weeping than you can understand."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. there lies a leafy island

**Author's Note:**

> As usual, I own nothing. This is a parallel story to my other fic "Make Your Nest and Lay In It", focused on Levy and Team Shadowgear instead of Gajeel and his nest. The two story lines will intersect quite a lot, though you don't need to read the other fic to understand this one (though I would highly recommend it). 
> 
> The summary is from the poem "Stolen Child" by WB Yeats.

The ship came in just as the sun was starting its decent, and Ardelle's grip on her daughter’s tiny shoulders tightened. It wasn't the first time Levy had seen that ship and it wouldn't be the last, but it was likely her last time watching it come in to this shore.

"Mother," she murmured softly, in her shy, seven year old voice. "I don't wanna go."

Her mother sighed, kneeling down in front of Levy and smoothing her thumbs over the young girl's cheeks. "I'm afraid you have to," Ardelle said quietly, pressing her lips together to hide their trembling. She fussed over her daughter's clothes, making sure the soft fabric was laid right and pinned tightly. "Master Makarov has promised to take good care of you, and I want you to show him all the respect you would show me, alright?"

"But why am I going?" Levy said, holding her mother's wrist. "Have I been bad?" she asked in a small voice. "I promise I'll be better!"

"Oh, love, no," Ardelle said quickly, pulling Levy into a tight hug. "It's so lonely here, I wouldn't wish this solitude on you a moment longer."

"Then come with me!"

"Love, I can't," Ardelle said softly, pulling back enough so she could rest her forehead against her daughter's. "You know this."

"Mother, please," Levy said, tears starting to roll down her cheeks, "don't go."

Ardelle just pulled her daughter close again, kneeling in the sand as her little girl wept into her shoulder. She stroked her daughter's blue curls, trying to memorize their softness and how the fine grit from the salt water that Levy so loved to swim in felt against her fingers. She needed these last memories of her daughter to tide her over for the next couple hours.

Just a little while without her daughter, that was all.

It was still too much.

She felt it the moment the longboat hit the sand, and Ardelle looked up as Makarov climbed out, watching her sadly. "Titania Ardelle," he said in a low voice, sweeping into a bow. The gesture made her throat close up, and she had to take a moment to ensure that her voice would come out steady.

"Enough of that," she replied. "There's no need for such formalities between old friends." His lips quirked up into a small smile.

"I'm the only old one here," he teased, and she smiled.

"Please, you'll outlive us all."

Makarov's smile fell right off his face, and Ardelle sighed, scooping Levy up into her arms before standing. "I appreciate this," she told Makarov, her skirt trailing in the sand as she walked to him. "We are forever in your debt."

"It's no trouble at all," he insisted. "Our family is growing everyday, and I'm sure Levy will fit right in."

"Love, you remember Master Makarov?" Ardella asked Levy softly, and the young girl peeked at him through long blue curls. She nodded, clutching her mother closer.

"Does she have anything to take with her?" Makarov asked, and Ardelle sighed.

"Anything of import would give her away, and the rest is too trivial to bother with," she said, petting her daughter's hair. Occasionally, Levy would flinch when her mother's hand got too close to her back, and Ardelle quickly pulled away, wary of the still tender wounds there. "I've put everything under a Keeping enchantment for when she returns."

Levy tugged carefully on her mother's hair to get her attention. "When can I come back?" she asked softly, and Ardelle smiled carefully.

"When Master Makarov thinks you're ready, love."

"And you'll be here?"

Ardelle inhaled deeply before bending down and setting her daughter on the sand. "Love, why don't you go wait in the longboat while Master Makarov and I talk," she asked gently, stroking Levy's cheek. After a moment, the little girl nodded, quietly running towards the boat. Ardelle watched as she struggled to climb inside, and a soft island breeze gently gave her a push inside.

Ardelle had to cover her mouth, squeezing her eyes shut to prevent tears from leaking out. This was her daughter's home. She was tied to this place in a way no one else was, and Ardelle was ripping that away from her.

She remembered small sobs and the sight of dark blood running down a tan back, and had to swallow her own sob. So much she had taken away from her daughter. So much of her history, her birthright. Would Levy even remember this place when she was grown?

"Does she know?" Makarov asked gently, and she nodded.

"I don't know how well she understands the concept of death, but she knows this is the last time she'll see me," she said quietly, holding herself tight. Makarov lay his hand on her upper arm, and she gripped his hand tightly.

"Ardelle, if there were anything I could do," he started, but she shook her head.

"I've fought this too long," she said, feeling the burning of disease in her blood with every beat of her heart. "It's my time. You're taking my daughter someplace safe, and that's all I need to find peace."

Makarov nodded. "I'll care for her like she was my own."

"Please do. She deserves so much love."

They were silent for a few moments, before Ardelle sighed. Reaching into her skirts, she pulled out a glass flask, capped with a wooden topper. "This is the last of my magic," she said, handing it to him and watching the golden magic inside slosh around. "I trust you know what to do?" He took it carefully, tucking it into his own jacket.

"I shall put it with your sisters'," Makarov said. She smiled at that, letting out a slow breath in relief.

"I would like that."

"Is there anything else?" he asked. "Anyone you want me to contact for her? A father?" She shook her head.

"He does not know of her, and even if he did, I do not know his name," she admitted. "Besides, Levy's done well enough without a father, I don't think she needs him." He nodded, and they fell back into silence as they stared out into the ocean. The sun was just beginning to kiss the horizon, and Ardelle's throat tightened. Her last sunset.

"We should be going," Makarov said quietly, and she nodded.

"Let me say my last good byes?" she asked, her voice cracking. He nodded, squeezing her hand. He made to step away, but she hugged him before he could move. “Thank you,” she whispered, tucking her face against the white hair at his temple. “I can think of no one else I would rather entrust my daughter to.”

Makarov hugged her back tightly, and for a moment she could picture him as he was the first night they had met, just two people sitting in front of a fire and talking about their futures as mages and fae alike had danced on the sand. He had been so young and full of hope and passion, a passion for life and magic that he still possessed to this day. Her dearest friend.

“The world is a darker place already, Ar,” he murmured, petting her long blue hair. “If your daughter grows up to be anything like you, then Fairy Tail will be a blessed place indeed.”

Ardelle bit her lip to hold in her sobs, giving Makarov one last tight hug before letting go. She turned towards the longboat and Levy was watching her closely, tears running down her cheeks. She quickly made her way over to her daughter, plucking her out of the boat and holding her tight to her chest. Levy sobbed, clutching onto her mother’s neck.

“I love you, Mother,” she wept, face pressed against Ardelle’s chest. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” Ardelle whispered fervently. “So much, love. If I could go with you, I would do it in a heartbeat.”

“What am I gonna do when you’re gone?” the little girl wailed.

“You’re going to live, okay?” Ardelle said, setting her daughter carefully in the sand and untangling her fingers from her hair. “You’re going to become a marvelous mage, and you’re going to find a new family that loves you as much as I do.” As she spoke, Ardelle reached behind her and unlatched the crystal necklace that was wrapped around her throat. “You’re going to cry, and laugh, and smile, and weep, and through it all you’re going to become even stronger,” she said, her own tears finally rolling down her cheeks as she carefully hooked her necklace around Levy’s thin neck. Levy grabbed her wrists as tightly as she could, looking up at her through her tears.

“Promise me something, Levy,” Ardelle said quietly, resting her forehead against her daughter’s. Levy nodded, tangling her tiny hands into her mother’s thick hair as if to keep her anchored in place. “Promise that you won’t forget this place, please?”

“I promise, Mother,” Levy said softly, watching her mother with her big dark eyes as if to try and commit all of her features to memory. Ardelle carefully wiped her daughter’s cheeks, pressing kisses all over her face and Levy giggled wetly. She pulled back to see Levy’s small smile, and she sighed contently.

“There’s that pretty smile,” she whispered, cupping her daughter’s cheek. Levy beamed at her, and Ardelle’s heart squeezed. What she wouldn’t give to see her beautiful little girl grow up.

A weathered hand squeezed her shoulder, and both Ardelle and Levy looked up at Makarov. His eyes were rimmed with red, and Ardelle squeezed his hand. “I know,” she said softly, untangling Levy’s hands from her hair. She carefully scooped Levy up, putting her in the longboat and kissing her forehead one last time. It would only hurt more if they dragged this out, though Ardelle didn’t know how it could possibly hurt worse.

Levy made a soft sobbing sound as Ardelle took a few steps back, her smile wobbling. “I love you, Mother,” she said, reaching out towards Ardelle as Makarov climbed into the boat as well.

“I love you too, Levy,” Ardelle said, tears rolling down her cheeks. “Goodbye, love.”

Levy just wept, pressing her face into her hands. Makarov pulled her into a tight hug, petting her hair carefully.

“Levy,” he whispered, smiling at her when she turned to look at him. “Let’s go home.”

Ardelle called upon what little magic she had left to push the boat back out to sea, her eyes locked with Levy’s the whole time. As the worn wood left the beach and slid into the sea, Ardelle could feel a little of the island’s magic disappear, still clinging to her daughter’s soul. Makarov took up the oars and started rowing out to the large ship that waited for them further out, but Levy just clung to the prow, leaning as far forward towards Tenroujima as she could.

“GOODBYE MOTHER!” she yelled over the ocean, and Ardelle choked on a sob.

“I LOVE YOU!” she yelled back, the wind carrying her voice to her daughter. Ardelle stayed on the beach until she could no longer make out the blue of her daughter’s hair, and with a broken heart, she spread her delicate wings and flew deep into the jungle.

All of the creatures were silent as she passed, heads bowed to the earth, and Ardelle could feel ghosts at her heels. Stopping only once at the cottage she had shared with Levy to place her circlet on her bed for her daughter to find when she returned to the island, Ardelle flew up the trunk of the Tenrou Tree, letting her fingertips trail along the thick bark as she ascended. She could feel the souls of all the fairies who had ever lived on the island stirring under the age-worn bark, pressing their magic into Ardelle so she could finish the trek to the top.

She stumbled her landing when she reached the treetop, breathing heavy and flushed with fever. She had even less time than she had thought, and she thanked every god in the sky that she had lasted long enough to see her daughter to safety.

Her wings lay useless against her back, and so the Titania finished the trek on foot, passing through the empty village that had once been home to her people, hidden high above the rest of the island on the top of the Tenrou Tree. She could still remember when the laughter of fairies had filled the island. She let her fingers trail across the soft fabric that hung from clotheslines and across the mud walls that made their homes. She’d never brought Levy up here, not where the air was choked with the ghosts of the past.

It took her only a few minutes to reach the center of her village, looking at the clear pool that lay in its center, its surface smooth as glass. She’d brought up water from the springs almost every day, making sure that the water was clean and well maintained and that the spells cast on the pool stayed strong. It was strategically placed over the center of the Tenrou Tree’s trunk, and Ardelle had watched as many of her people had laid in the center and breathed their last breaths, their souls dripping down with the water into the trunk of the tree.

The water was cool as she stepped into it, not bothering to hold up the skirt of her gown. The water seemed to shimmer with magic as Ardelle swam towards the center, the thin fabric plastering around her legs and to her torso. She floated on her back, wings and hair spread out around her, and she stared up at the darkening sky as her heartbeat began to slow. Ardelle felt tears slip down her face, even though she had made peace with the inevitability of her own death ages ago.

She imagined her daughter’s smiling face, her laughter ringing through the trees as Ardelle carried her on a flight through the forest, golden eyes bright and cheeks flushed. She thought of Levy dancing on the beach, arms thrown over her head and hair wild as she danced with an abandon that only children had, magic thick in a haze around her.

Ardelle remembered looking down at her daughter when she was first born and thinking that nothing on this planet could ever be as beautiful as Levy was to her.

And when the last Titania of Tenroujima died, it was with a smile on her face.


	2. we foot it all the night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the following characters, I'm just borrowing them.

"Guys, wait up!" Levy yelled, bunching her skirt up in her tiny fists before running after her two teammates. Jet and Droy had been running from her all day, and Levy was getting more and more frustrated. She could be playing with Cana! Or reading with Lisanna! But no, she had to chase her idiot teammates around!

"Master says it's time for dinner!" she yelled, turning the corner. She heard loud giggles and smelled magic in the air before something rushed past her, making her hair whip around her face. The seven year old cried out, covering her head. "Jet! That's not very nice!" Levy shouted, feeling her bottom lip start to tremble.

Two heads peeked around the corner, and both Jet and Droy giggled. "Come on, Levy," Droy called, "you gotta be able to keep up!"

"Then stop using your magic!" she said, stomping her foot. They both laughed again before disappearing, and Levy pressed her lips together tightly. She gripped her mother's necklace, blinking quickly to keep from crying. It'd only been a month since she had left Tenroujima, and she already wanted to go home. The people here were nice, but it could be so loud. She missed the smell of the ocean. She missed the feeling of sand under her feet and soft green grass against her back.

She missed her Mother.

" _Tag!_ "

Levy cried out as two small hands hit her back, right between her shoulder blades, and she fell to the ground as pain shot through her tiny form. Her back and knees throbbed painfully, and Levy couldn't hold back the sobs bubbling up her chest. The wounds on her back were still tender, despite the healing cream Makarov had been giving her, and the two long gouges under her shoulder blades throbbed.

"What did you do?" Droy asked, panic in his voice as he looked down at the crying girl.

"Nothin'! I just tagged her!" Jet shot back, and Levy wailed louder. The two young boys panicked and shared a look before Jet turned towards the front of the guildhall. " _Dad!_ " he yelled, and there was the sound of rushing footsteps.

"Jet, what happened-" the footsteps stopped, and Levy whimpered. " _Boys!_  What happened?" the low voice barked out, and two callused hands carefully helped Levy back to her feet.

"Nothin'!" Jet said again, but the man who had helped Levy up ignored him, instead carefully wiping the tears from Levy's cheeks.

"Are you okay, darlin'?" he asked gently, and Levy sniffled.

"My back hurts," she murmured, and he pet her hair gently.

"May I look?" he asked, and she froze up. Makarov had warned her to be careful about telling people about Mother or where she came from, and she knew that her back could give her away. But it hurt so badly… Levy nodded, and the man smiled at her. He had the same dark eyes and straight nose as Jet, though his hair was a deep black with silver streaked throughout.

He carefully turned Levy around, lifting the back of her shirt and inhaling sharply. "Is she okay?" Jet asked nervously, and Levy could see him bouncing nervously at the edge of his vision as Droy bit his thumbnail. They both looked genuinely remorseful, but Levy was still in too much pain to care.

"... There's a bit of bruising, but nothing too bad," Jet's dad said, carefully lowering Levy's shirt. It had been Erza's when she was smaller, but since Makarov hadn't been able to go out and get Levy new clothes yet, she wore some hand-me-downs from the rest of the girls at Fairy Hills. Levy didn't mind - the clothes were all soft and smelled like girl and magic - but she missed the floaty fabrics of her old dresses. She felt weighed down, like she was chained to the earth, and some primal part of her was terrified at the prospect.

"You're the new little girl Makarov brought back a month ago, Levy, right?" he asked when Levy turned back around, ruffling her hair gently. Levy nodded. "It's nice to meet you," he said with a grin. "I'm Brant, and I see you've already met my goofus of a son."

"Hey!" Jet protested, but Brant silenced him with a look.

"Jethro Leroy Allen," he said lowly, "do you want to tell me why this young lady got shoved to the floor?" Jet and Droy both went pale.

"We was just playin'!"

"She wouldn't be crying if you were playing," Brant said. He looked at her scraped knees before carefully pulling Levy into his arms, the little girl clinging to his jacket. "Come on, they should have some bandages behind the bar," he said, and the four of them made their way back into the main room. Some of the adults went quiet as Brant walked by with a sniffling Levy in his arms, and most of the kids were already rushing over to make sure their friend was okay.

"She's fine, just got a little roughed up," Brant told them, and Levy smiled reassuringly down at her friends. Cana frowned and climbed up onto one of the barstools as Brant put Levy on the wooden surface of the bar, reaching out for Levy's hand. Levy gripped her hand back tightly, rubbing her eyes.

"What's going on over here?" Enno asked, still out of breath from dancing. She was Levy's favorite adult in the guild, and Levy immediately reached for her. "Levy? What happened?"

"Jet and Droy pushed her and she fell over, apparently," Brant said, taking a step back so Enno could fuss over Levy. "Could you bandage her knees while I go talk to Master for a little while?" he asked.

"Yes, of course," she said, rubbing Levy's shoulder. "I needed to take a break anyways. I think Macao is trying to build up the courage to talk to me, and it'd be easier if I wasn't dancing."

Brant laughed. "You could just tell him you like him, you know?"

"Nah, he's gonna have to work for it!"

Brant laughed and Levy watched as he walked away, heading towards where Makarov was sitting. The barmaid behind the counter handed Enno the first aid kit, and she quickly got to work, joking and making funny faces at Levy as she carefully disinfected the scrapes on the little girl's knees. Cana rubbed Levy's hand the whole time, and Levy smiled at her gratefully.

"Is she gonna be alright?" Jet asked quietly, and Enno frowned down at him.

"She'd be better with an apology," she said. The two young men squirmed.

"We were just playin'," Droy murmured, and this time Cana was the one to respond.

"You're not allowed to shove people!" she said. "Even if you are playing!"

"Cana's right," Enno said, putting the last bandage over Levy's wound and quickly kissing her knee. Levy giggled, covering her mouth. "That's no excuse to be mean to a younger kid, especially a young lady. I thought you three were teammates now?"

"We are!" they both shouted, sounding distressed.

"Then you have to take care of her," Enno continued as she picked Levy up, carefully placing the young woman on the ground. "Being a team means you watch out for each other, no matter what. You have to treat them with respect! Jet, would you play as roughly with your sisters as you did with Levy?"

Jet went pale. " _No."_

"And why not?"

"Because they can beat me up!"

Levy giggled as Enno sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "That wasn't what I was aiming for," she murmured as Cana hopped down off the barstool, hovering protectively over Levy along with Mirajane and Lisanna. "I was trying to say that you should treat your team like you would treat your family! When you grow up and start going on missions, Levy could be the only thing standing between you and a big monster, and do you want her to be remembering the time you pushed her over while she's protecting you?"

If it was possible, Jet and Droy went paler.

"Just be more careful next time, and apologize," Enno said, gently nudging Levy closer to the two boys.

"Yeah, or  _we'll_ beat you up!" Mirajane said, tossing her long white hair over her shoulder before cracking her knuckles, magic flaring up around her.

"Mirajane-"

"Or we'll kick you in the dick!"

" _Cana!_ " Enno exclaimed, looking at the young brunette with wide eyes. "Where did you learn that!?" Cana shuffled her feet, smiling up at Enno sheepishly.

"I heard Macao yell it at Wakaba yesterday," she said, pointing at the two mages who were drinking on the opposite side of the guild. Enno turned and glared at the two, and Levy heard a muffled  _"Shit"_  before Macao took off for the door, Wakaba running after him.

While Enno gently lectured Cana and Mirajane, Jet and Droy stepped up to Levy, both looking at the floor. They were awkwardly silent for a few moments before Lisanna coughed delicately from behind Levy, giving the two a meaningful look before skipping over to where her brother was.

"We're sorry that we pushed you," Jet said, rubbing his head awkwardly.

Droy coughed. "Well, technically he shoved you, I'm innocent-" Jet elbowed him hard, and Levy hid her smile behind a small hand. "I mean, uh, I'm sorry too."

"I accept your apology," Levy said loftily, her mother's necklace hanging heavy around her neck and reminding Levy that even though she was away from her island, she was still the daughter of a Titania. And Titania's were forgiving, though not to be walked over. "But next time you want to play tag, ask first!"

They both murmured their agreements, and Levy giggled, stepping between the two and looping her arms through theirs. The two boys blushed, immediately screaming about girl cooties, but neither of them tried to move, and Levy just laughed louder. Sure, they were idiots, but they were her idiots now.

"Did those two goofballs apologize?" Brant asked as he walked back up, Makarov at his side. Levy nodded, grinning brightly, and Brant laughed as he ruffled Jet's hair. "Good to know."

"Levy, may I speak to you a moment?" Makarov said with a smile, and Levy immediately went to his side, taking his hand and letting him lead her a few feet away. "Now, Brant told me that he needed to look at your back after Jet shoved you?" he asked, and Levy's smile dropped.

"Was that bad?" she asked in a small voice. "I know you said to be careful about who I told-"

"Child, you're fine," he reassured, smiling. "I'm glad that it was Brant that you chose to trust. He was just concerned by the scars on your back and wanted to make sure you were okay. I told him that you had been taken into my care, and the scars were the result of a health problem." Levy nodded silently, one hand pressing against her back.

There were four scars in all, two large ones just below her shoulder blades and two smaller ones further down on either side of her spine. She could remember the fluttering of delicate wings, bones thin and colorful membrane thinner, and how easily they would tear whenever she tried to fly with her mother. They were so small compared to her body, and it hurt so badly to touch them that Levy couldn't even sleep on her back. Her mother had done everything in her power to help them grow, but Levy was too much human and not enough fae, and Ardelle had to take them off.

The thought of her mother made Levy's throat close up, and she gripped her necklace like a lifeline. This wasn't missed by Makarov, and he carefully laid his hand on Levy's arm. "Brant asked for permission to take you home with Jet and Droy tonight so that you can meet the rest of Jet's family," he said gently, smiling at the young girl. "I'm sure you would have a good time, but it's up to you."

Levy bit her bottom lip as she thought. "It won't just be the four of us, would it?" she asked, feeling awkward at the thought of being alone with so many boys.

"Of course not, Jet's mother and sisters will be there as well," Makarov reassured. "I've met Brant's wife before, and she'll make sure you're taken care of."

The thought of meeting her teammate's family was a nice one, and at the mention of family, Levy suddenly didn't feel like going back to her room at Fairy Hills. The other girls there were like sisters to Levy, but they all had their own rooms, and Hilda had recently started to enforce the rule that the girls couldn't leave their rooms after 10. What sounded better; being alone in her big room, or going and visiting family with her teammates?

"That sounds nice," she said with a shy smile, and Makarov grinned.

"I'll let Hilda know that you'll be staying with the Allens tonight, then," he said, smiling. "I'm glad that you're fitting in so well, Levy. I know the transition has been hard."

Levy just smiled, letting Makarov lead her back over to where Brant was lecturing Jet and Droy. "She said yes!" Makarov said cheerfully when they had gotten close enough, and Brant grinned brightly. He had a little fang just like Jet, and Levy giggled.

"Great!" he cheered, ignoring Jet and Droy's confusion. "Leena's been wanting to meet you for a while, ever since these two said they had formed a team."

"Wait, she's coming home with us?" Jet asked, eyes wide.

"To meet Ma?" Droy added.

"And my sisters?" Jet whispered, going still as he looked at the ground in horror.

Brant smirked at the two. "Yes, I figured it's about time your new teammate met the family. Besides, you know your mother. She won't be happy until she gets to fuss over the young lady and sends her back to the dorms with enough leftovers to feed an army."

Droy looked over at Levy - Jet was still staring at the ground with wide eyes - and hummed thoughtfully before shrugging. "I guess it'd be okay," he said breezily, and both Brant and Makarov rolled their eyes. Brant went and said a few quick goodbyes (and took a moment to laugh at Macao along with Wakaba as Enno chewed him out for not watching his tongue around the younger Fairies), before coming back and smiling at Levy widely.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked, and Levy nodded, smiling shyly at the Speed Mage. She turned and waved goodbye to the other kids, and trailed after Brant and her two teammates, who were fighting with big grins on their face.

They had only walked for a few minutes when Jet and Droy fell back to where Levy was walking, and with deep blushes on their faces, quickly took one of her hands each, holding them carefully. Levy blinked owlishly, looking at the two before smiling, holding their hands back tightly.

They let go as soon as the Allen family home came into view, but Levy had gotten really rather good at reading between the lines since leaving Tenroujima, and she understood their actions loud and clear. It was an apology and reassurance all in one, and Levy knew that after today, Jet and Droy would always have her back, scars and all.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you that don't remember, Enno is Romeo's mother, so the only OC in this chapter is Brant. I'm gonna be introducing the rest of Shadowgear's family in the next chapter, and I'm really looking forward to it. Jet's mom is a gift lol. For those of you wondering when this fic is gonna start lining up wit Nest fic, be patient. I just have a couple more chapters to set some more things up, and then we're gonna jump right in!
> 
> Quick reminder that updates between this and Nest fic alternate, and that besides that, there's no set schedule. I managed to knock this chapter out in a day, but some chapters take as long as a month to write. Thank you for your patience.


End file.
